Apple may launch 13-inch MacBook with Retina Display priced like a MacBook Air

Retina screen kicks with minimal wallet damage?

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A new report suggests Apple is readying a new ‘entry-level’ 13-inch MacBook with a Retina Display that will be priced at around the same level as the current MacBook Air.

This comes from a DigiTimes analyst who claims that Apple is using LG Display for the new 13.3-inch screens, which will boast the same resolution as the Retina-toting MacBook Pro: 2,560 x 1,600 pixels.

As for the timeframe for the arrival of this new machine, it’s expected to enter mass production at the end of May, which would point to a reveal at WWDC in June.

Currently, the MacBook Air is priced at $999 (£949 or AU$1,499), and the rumor claims the incoming model will be pitched at around that level, or perhaps slightly higher.

We’d guess that it’ll likely be a good deal more affordable than the cheapest current means to get an Apple laptop with a Retina screen, which is the vanilla 12-inch MacBook that starts at $1,299 (£1,249 or AU$1,899).

How all these rumors stack up we’ll only know in time. While DigiTimes doesn’t explicitly refer to an incoming MacBook Air, it’s still conceivable that this report is talking about a refreshed Air – although we don’t think it's very likely that Apple would make major changes to the Air lineup given the lack of attention the company has paid to the range in recent times.

It’s also possible that Apple will introduce a new 13-inch Retina MacBook as rumored here, and will also substantially cut the price of the existing MacBook Air to keep it as a more tempting entry-level option. That would certainly be great news for consumers, so fingers crossed.

According to DigiTimes, Apple is expected to ship around four million units of this new 13-inch MacBook during the course of 2018.